Turkey Times

Got a bit of a late start so in place of our THANKS and GIVING trees this year (cute idea from Chocolate on My Cranium) we opted for a family Thankful Tree instead (idea credit to Shawni.)

It was fun and enlightening and the perfect Family Night activity.

Sort of in new territory having Thanksgiving out of the country, we decided to invite a few Aussie families over from school and share the love. It was awesome. They were so honored and pleased about it and took even more pictures than I did.

The amount of food I was responsible for this year was a bit daunting, but I ended up really enjoying having a whole day to cook, cook, cook, while D and Summer cleaned, set up and acquired some fantastic napkin folding skills. (He's such a host at heart - I love it.)

No one had ever seen such a big bird come out of the oven (thank you Costco!) and one gal even tried her hand at the most American thing she could think of and brought a delicious pecan pie. It was an entirely delightful evening. Friendships were made, food was devoured, laughter and thanks shared, even a few tears were shed. We thought it was as awesome as Thanksgiving away from family could possibly be.

Kathryn contributed a huge Guinness Pie among other things - needless to say, lots of leftovers, which is of course, the best part!   Tied with Darren's annual Turkey Frame Soup. :)

Good fun. Great friends. Full tummies. VERY thankful for so much this year. Can't wait to do it all again in 2012 (when I'm absolutely adding this fantastic relish tray turkey I saw my friend, Ashley, post on FB.)

H2O

Did you know, you are probably dehydrated right now? In fact, studies show that most of us are chronically dehydrated which is manifest in our various forms of "illness." In fact, you may want to hold off going to the doctor until you've actively re-hydrated for a few days. Chances are your "symptoms" will disappear.

Water in health has intrigued me for some time. I went through a spurt in junior high when a friend and I tried to down a gallon a day. It was amusingly difficult. For a while last year I attempted downing 64 oz. before breakfast every morning. Also difficult. I just read a book called Your Body's Many Cries for Water by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. It's written so poorly that I'll save you the trouble and just share his highlights (you can find more on this FAQ page from his website.) He basically says,

"You are not sick, you are thirsty! 

Don't treat thirst with medications!"

He goes on to support his claims with ample research and examples. He believes we could solve most of our ailments simply by drinking more water. Seriously, we're talking high blood pressure, cancer, migraines, arthritis, heartburn, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, allergies - the whole gamut. He has "subscribed" anywhere from 32 oz. to 3 liters a day, but his basic recommendation is "drink half of your body weight in ounces" (ex: 150 lbs, drink 75 oz.) A safe bet is 8-10 eight oz. glasses at the very least per day. Water should be taken first thing in the morning, 30 minutes before and after meals, as well as before bed. It's healthy (and weight-losing) properties will be amplified by one (or two) hour long "walks" per day. He warns that increased water intake should be accompanied by an increase in salt as well (up to 1/2 tsp. per day) to keep liver and kidneys balanced and functioning properly. And we're talking WATER, by the way, straight from the tap. Not "liquid" - so your juice, tea, soda don't count here at all.

It makes sense to me. I've watched enough documentaries to be convinced. Not to mention, our bodies are made up of 75% water, and our brains are closer to 85% water. Foggy brain? Sluggish or fatigued at work? Feel like you're coming down with something? Drink a couple glasses of water. I can't help but think how much money would we save and where would our health system be today if we all at least attempted re-hydrating before turning to medications. Water could very well be your (free) "miracle cure." Be sure to share your success with your doctor too. Let's be part of the solution, people.

Want an easy test for dehydration? Check your shade of urine:

clear = hydrated
yellow = partially dehydrated
orange = extremely dehydrated

So happy hydrating, friends! Come on, give it a try, what have you got to lose?

Random Events

Living it up at Mini-Q in Questacon and at the Discovery Zone of the Nat'l War Memorial. Some intense play going on.

 A $4 run down the Super Slide?? Steal of the Century! 

(not)  

Kenna getting in on the lawn mowing action.

Love those little mommy-daddy-summer dates on those U.S. holidays when the kids are in school.

 Family hike up Mt. Ainslie for some great views of the city.

 About 10 minutes from the top, D took one half of us back down due to some freakishly intense ear pain for poor Kenna. (ear infection) They were so close!

 I love that stage when baby is old enough to safely discover the endless joys of the playground.

 And Mommy's new once-in-a-blue-moon highlights in her hair (or highliters as Kenna calls them.)

Mr. President

Last month the Queen came to town. Unfortunately, we didn't brave the weather to catch a glimpse of her. But last week we couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend a special Meet & Greet with Barack Obama at the U.S. Embassy.

 We pulled the kids from school, braved the crazy traffic due to his entourage's extensive security, and waited a few hours in the sun for his arrival. It was great.

 Annie was the first to spot his motorcade rolling by on their way to Parliament House. Our shuttle from the reserved parking broke a few laws but finally got us there. Then we waited...

 And waited... (fortunately we found plenty o' friends.)

Finally, with the patriotic songs blasting, he arrived out back of the Ambassador's residence. Sun was shining, speeches were given, a tree was planted, hand shakes all around, then he was off again. I can't imagine that schedule. He was poised, gracious and comfortable - expressing much gratitude for such a strong relationship with Australia and for all the work we're doing out here.

Due to my "super-volunteer" status in the last few Embassy events, Kenna and Will were granted spots in the roped off area for a small group of kids to shake his hand.


D posted a video of it on FB, but here they are eagerly awaiting his big entrance. (Kenna on left in pink hat, Will in middle wearing green.)

 Took his coat off to shake hands at the rope - and hold a few babies while he was at it.

They are feeling sufficiently special these days, especially at school where everyone keeps asking about all the glorious details. :) They even got quoted in a news article HERE. Pretty sure we wouldn't have ever got this close to a U.S. President, let alone shake his hand, if we weren't living overseas. Cool beans.